Citation: Haibo Ye, Qianyu Li, Juan Li, Didi Li, Zhimin Ao. Review on the abiotic degradation of biodegradable plastic poly(butylene adipate-terephthalate): Mechanisms and main factors of the degradation[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2025, 36(1): 109861. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109861 shu

Review on the abiotic degradation of biodegradable plastic poly(butylene adipate-terephthalate): Mechanisms and main factors of the degradation

Haibo Ye ^{a, b} ,
Qianyu Li ^{c, d} ,
Juan Li ^c ,
Didi Li ^{a, b} ,
Zhimin Ao ^{c, *,}

a.
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangzhou Key Laboratory Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangzhou 510006, China
b.
Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
c.
Advanced Interdisciplinary Institute of Environment and Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
d.
School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

Zhimin.ao@bnu.edu.cn

Received Date: 5 December 2023
Revised Date: 14 March 2024
Accepted Date: 4 April 2024
Available Online: 5 April 2024

Figures(6)

Poly(butylene adipate-terephthalate) (PBAT), as one of the most common and promising biodegradable plastics, has been widely used in agriculture, packaging, and other industries due to its strong biodegradability properties. It is well known that PBAT suffers a series of natural weathering, mechanical wear, hydrolysis, photochemical transformation, and other abiotic degradation processes before being biodegraded. Therefore, it is particularly important to understand the role of abiotic degradation in the life cycle of PBAT. Since the abiotic degradation of PBAT has not been systematically summarized, this review aims to summarize the mechanisms and main factors of the three major abiotic degradation pathways (hydrolysis, photochemical transformation, and thermochemical degradation) of PBAT. It was found that all of them preferentially destroy the chemical bonds with higher energy (especially C-O and C=O) of PBAT, which eventually leads to the shortening of the polymer chain and then leads to reduction in molecular weight. The main factors affecting these abiotic degradations are closely related to the energy or PBAT structure. These findings provide important theoretical and practical guidance for identifying effective methods for PBAT waste management and proposing advanced schemes to regulate the degradation rate of PBAT.
- Biodegradable plastics,
- PBAT,
- Abiotic degradation,
- Degradation mechanism
1. [1]
  J. Wang, Z. Tan, J. Peng, Q. Qiu, M. Li, Mar. Environ. Res. 113 (2016) 7–17. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.10.014
2. [2]
  J.C. Prata, A.L. Patricio Silva, J.P. da Costa, et al., Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 16 (2019) 2411. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16132411
3. [3]
  H. Tian, Z. Tang, X. Zhuang, X. Chen, X. Jing, Prog. Polym. Sci. 37 (2012) 237–280. doi: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2011.06.004
4. [4]
  T.P. Haider, C. Voelker, J. Kramm, K. Landfester, F.R. Wurm, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 58 (2019) 50–62. doi: 10.1002/anie.201805766
5. [5]
  S. Aubin, J. Beaugrand, M. Berteloot, et al., Environ. Sci. Policy 134 (2022) 119–126. doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2022.04.011
6. [6]
  F.V. Ferreira, L.S. Cividanes, R.F. Gouveia, L.M.F. Lona, Polym. Eng. Sci. 59 (2019) E7–E15.
7. [7]
  L. Jiang, M.P. Wolcott, J.W. Zhang, Biomacromolecules 7 (2006) 199–207. doi: 10.1021/bm050581q
8. [8]
  European Bioplastics, Bioplastics facts and figures. European-bioplastics.org/ news/publications/, 2023 (accessed 3 January 2023)
9. [9]
  M. Chen, C. Cai, J. Bao, et al., Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 203 (2022) 110080. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2022.110080
10. [10]
  M. Zaverl, O. Valerio, M. Misra, A. Mohanty, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 132 (2015) 1–11.
11. [11]
  H. Hu, Y. Tian, J. Wang, R. Zhang, J. Zhu, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 195 (2022) 109795. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2021.109795
12. [12]
  S. Mohanty, S.K. Nayak, Polym-Plast. Technol. 50 (2011) 754. doi: 10.1080/03602559.2011.573395
13. [13]
  L. Lai, S. Wang, J. Li, et al., Carbohyd. Polym. 247 (2020) 116687. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116687
14. [14]
  Y. Fourati, Q. Tarres, M. Delgado-Aguilar, P. Mutje, S. Boufi, Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 183 (2021) 267–275. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.04.102
15. [15]
  J. Chen, R.R. Hu, F.L. Jin, S.J. Park, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 138 (2021) 50250. doi: 10.1002/app.50250
16. [16]
  B. Gewert, M.M. Plassmann, M. MacLeod, Environ. Sci-Proc. Imp. 17 (2015) 1513–1521.
17. [17]
  Z. Lin, T. Jin, T. Zou, et al., Environ. Pollut. 304 (2022) 119159. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119159
18. [18]
  K. Zhang, A.H. Hamidian, A. Tubic, et al., Environ. Pollut. 274 (2021) 116554. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116554
19. [19]
  R.V. Moharir, S. Kumar, J. Clean. Prod. 208 (2019) 65–76. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.059
20. [20]
  F. Zhang, Y. Zhao, D. Wang, et al., J. Clean. Prod. 282 (2021) 124523. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124523
21. [21]
  M. Musiol, W. Sikorska, G. Adamus, et al., Waste Manage 52 (2016) 69–76. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2016.04.016
22. [22]
  T. Kijchavengkul, R. Auras, M. Rubino, M. Ngouajio, R.T. Fernandez, Chemosphere 71 (2008) 942–953. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.10.074
23. [23]
  B. Laycock, M. Nikolic, J.M. Colwell, et al., Prog. Polym. Sci. 71 (2017) 144–189. doi: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2017.02.004
24. [24]
  M.A. Maurer-Jones, E.M. Monzo, ACS Appl. Polym. 3 (2021) 1003–1011. doi: 10.1021/acsapm.0c01283
25. [25]
  A. Kanwal, M. Zhang, F. Sharaf, C. Li, Polym. Bull. 79 (2022) 10053–10076. doi: 10.1007/s00289-021-03992-4
26. [26]
  R. Herrera, L. Franco, A. Rodríguez-Galán, J. Puiggalí, J. Polym. Sci. A. Polym. Chem. 40 (2002) 4141–4157. doi: 10.1002/pola.10501
27. [27]
  H. Wang, J. Wu, S. Chen, W. Xia, Chin. J. Biotechnol. 39 (2023) 1987–1997.
28. [28]
  T. Kijchavengkul, R. Auras, M. Rubino, et al., Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 95 (2010) 2641–2647. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2010.07.018
29. [29]
  Y.M. Bi, X.Y. Gong, W.Z. Wang, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 21 (2010) 237–241. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2009.10.003
30. [30]
  Y. Ren, J. Hu, M. Yang, Y. Weng, J. Polym. Environ. 27 (2019) 2784–2792. doi: 10.1007/s10924-019-01563-3
31. [31]
  Y.X. Weng, Y.J. Jin, Q.Y. Meng, et al., Polym. Test. 32 (2013) 918–926. doi: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2013.05.001
32. [32]
  L.Z. Zuo, H.X. Li, L. Lin, et al., Chemosphere 215 (2019) 25–32. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.09.173
33. [33]
  Y. Fu, G. Wu, X. Bian, J. Zeng, Y. Weng, Molecules 25 (2020) 3946. doi: 10.3390/molecules25173946
34. [34]
  X.F. Wei, M. Bohlen, C. Lindblad, M. Hedenqvist, A. Hakonen, Water Res. 198 (2021) 117123. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117123
35. [35]
  Z.Y. Wei, L. Liu, J. Gao, P. Wang, M. Qi, Chin. Chem. Lett. 19 (2008) 363– 366. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2008.01.004
36. [36]
  Q. Zhou, J. Zhang, M. Zhang, et al., Water Res. 222 (2022) 118899. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118899
37. [37]
  A. Larranaga, E. Lizundia, Eur. Polym. J. 121 (2019) 109296. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2019.109296
38. [38]
  S. Jaiswal, B. Sharma, P. Shukla, Environ. Technol. Innovation 17 (2020) 100567. doi: 10.1016/j.eti.2019.100567
39. [39]
  R.M.S. Cruz, V. Krauter, S. Krauter, et al., Foods 11 (2022) 3087. doi: 10.3390/foods11193087
40. [40]
  A. Chamas, H. Moon, J. Zheng, et al., ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 8 (2020) 3494–3511. doi: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06635
41. [41]
  N. Lucas, C. Bienaime, C. Belloy, et al., Chemosphere 73 (2008) 429–442. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.06.064
42. [42]
  R. Al-Itry, K. Lamnawar, A. Maazouz, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 97 (2012) 1898–1914. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2012.06.028
43. [43]
  R. Muthuraj, M. Misra, A.K. Mohanty, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 132 (2015) 27.
44. [44]
  A. Gopferich, Biomaterials 17 (1996) 103–114. doi: 10.1016/0142-9612(96)85755-3
45. [45]
  M.F. Shockley, A.H. Muliana, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 180 (2020) 109298. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2020.109298
46. [46]
  Q. Deshoulles, M.Le Gall, S. Benali, et al., Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 205 (2022) 110122. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2022.110122
47. [47]
  H. Jia, M. Zhang, Y. Weng, et al., J. Environ. Sci. 103 (2021) 50–58. doi: 10.1016/j.jes.2020.10.001
48. [48]
  F. Muroi, Y. Tachibana, P. Soulenthone, et al., Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 137 (2017) 11–22. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2017.01.006
49. [49]
  T. Kijchavengkul, R. Auras, M. Rubino, et al., Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 96 (2011) 1919–1926. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2011.07.001
50. [50]
  D. Tang, C. Zhang, Y. Weng, Polym. Test. 99 (2021) 107204. doi: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2021.107204
51. [51]
  S. Majhi, Photoch. Photobio. Sci. 20 (2021) 1357–1378. doi: 10.1007/s43630-021-00100-3
52. [52]
  T. Kijchavengkul, R. Auras, M. Rubino, M. Ngouajio, R.T. Fernandez, Chemosphere 71 (2008) 1607–1616. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.01.037
53. [53]
  J. Xie, Y. Yan, S. Fan, et al., Environ. Sci. Technol. 56 (2022) 9041–9051. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01687
54. [54]
  T. Kijchavengkul, R. Auras, M. Rubino, et al., Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 95 (2010) 99–107. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2009.11.048
55. [55]
  P. Stloukal, V. Verney, S. Commereuc, et al., Chemosphere 88 (2012) 1214–1219. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.03.072
56. [56]
  G.X. De Ho, M.T. Zumstein, G.J. Getzinger, et al., Environ. Sci. Technol. 53 (2019) 2472–2481. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06458
57. [57]
  D. Briassoulis, J. Polym. J. Polym. Environ. 12 (2004) 65–81. doi: 10.1023/B:JOOE.0000010052.86786.ef
58. [58]
  Y. Yang, C. Zhang, Y. Weng, Polym. Test. 102 (2021) 107334. doi: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2021.107334
59. [59]
  R.M. Qiao, C.P. Zhao, J.L. Liu, M.L. Zhang, W.Q. He, Polymers-Basel 14 (2022) 1434. doi: 10.3390/polym14071434
60. [60]
  H. Jeswani, C. Krueger, M. Russ, et al., Sci. Total J. Polym. Environ. 769 (2021) 144483. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144483
61. [61]
  T. Maqsood, J. Dai, Y. Zhang, M. Guang, B. Li, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrol. 159 (2021) 105295. doi: 10.1016/j.jaap.2021.105295
62. [62]
  S. Kim, W. Yang, H.S. Lee, Y.F. Tsang, J. Lee, J. Clean. Prod. 372 (2022) 133763. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133763
63. [63]
  A.Felipe Jaramillo, S. Riquelme, L.Felipe Montoya, et al., Polym. Compos. 40 (2019) 1870–1882. doi: 10.1002/pc.24949
64. [64]
  D.V.A. Ceretti, M. Edeleva, L. Cardon, D.R. D’Hooge, Molecules 28 (2023) 2344. doi: 10.3390/molecules28052344
65. [65]
  F. Signori, M.B. Coltelli, S. Bronco, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 94 (2009) 74–82. doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2008.10.004
66. [66]
  D.R. Tyler, J. Macromol. Sci-Pol. R. 44 (2004) 351–388. doi: 10.1081/MC-200033682
67. [67]
  X. Li, Z. Cai, X. Wang, et al., Appl. Clay Sci. 196 (2020) 105762. doi: 10.1016/j.clay.2020.105762
1. [1]
  Xiaotao Jin , Yanlan Wang , Yingping Huang , Di Huang , Xiang Liu . Percarbonate activation catalyzed by nanoblocks of basic copper molybdate for antibiotics degradation: High performance, degradation pathways and mechanism. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(10): 109499-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109499
2. [2]
  Fengrui Yang , Debing Wang , Xinying Zhang , Jie Zhang , Zhichao Wu , Qiaoying Wang . Synergistic effects of peroxydisulfate on UV/O₃ process for tetracycline degradation: Mechanism and pathways. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(10): 109599-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109599
3. [3]
  Ming-Zhen Li , Yang Zhang , Kun Li , Ya-Nan Shang , Yi-Zhen Zhang , Yu-Jiao Kan , Zhi-Yang Jiao , Yu-Yuan Han , Xiao-Qiang Cao . In situ regeneration of catalyst for Fenton-like degradation by photogenerated electron transportation: Characterization, performance and mechanism comparison. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(1): 109885-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109885
4. [4]
  Yun-Xin Huang , Lin-Qian Yu , Ke-Yu Chen , Hao Wang , Shou-Yan Zhao , Bao-Cheng Huang , Ren-Cun Jin . Biochar with self-doped N to activate peroxymonosulfate for bisphenol-A degradation via electron transfer mechanism: The active edge graphitic N site. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(9): 109437-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109437
5. [5]
  Weichen Zhu , Wei Zuo , Pu Wang , Wei Zhan , Jun Zhang , Lipin Li , Yu Tian , Hong Qi , Rui Huang . Fe-N-C heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for the degradation of tetracycline: Fe-N coordination and mechanism studies. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(9): 109341-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109341
6. [6]
  Chunyan Yang , Qiuyu Rong , Fengyin Shi , Menghan Cao , Guie Li , Yanjun Xin , Wen Zhang , Guangshan Zhang . Rationally designed S-scheme heterojunction of BiOCl/g-C₃N₄ for photodegradation of sulfamerazine: Mechanism insights, degradation pathways and DFT calculation. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(12): 109767-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109767
7. [7]
  Yun-Fei Zhang , Chun-Hui Zhang , Jian-Hui Xu , Lei Li , Dan Li , Jin-Hong Fan , Jiale Gao , Xin Quan , Qi Wu , Yue Zou , Yan-Ling Liu . Enhanced degradation of florfenicol by microscale SiC/Fe: Dechlorination via hydrogenolysis. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(7): 109385-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109385
8. [8]
  Yuqing Zhu , Haohao Chen , Li Wang , Liqun Ye , Houle Zhou , Qintian Peng , Huaiyong Zhu , Yingping Huang . Piezoelectric materials for pollutants degradation: State-of-the-art accomplishments and prospects. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(4): 108884-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108884
9. [9]
  Menglu Guo , Ying-Qi Song , Junfei Cheng , Guoqiang Dong , Xun Sun , Chunquan Sheng . Hydrophobic tagging-induced degradation of NAMPT in leukemia cells. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(9): 109392-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109392
10. [10]
  Cunjun Li , Wencong Liu , Xianlei Chen , Liang Li , Shenyu Lan , Mingshan Zhu . Adsorption and activation of peroxymonosulfate on BiOCl for carbamazepine degradation: The role of piezoelectric effect. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(10): 109652-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109652
11. [11]
  Qiang Zhang , Weiran Gong , Huinan Che , Bin Liu , Yanhui Ao . S doping induces to promoted spatial separation of charge carriers on carbon nitride for efficiently photocatalytic degradation of atrazine. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, 2023, 42(12): 100205-100205. doi: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2023.100205
12. [12]
  Jian Peng , Yue Jiang , Shuangyu Wu , Yanran Cheng , Jingyu Liang , Yixin Wang , Zhuo Li , Sijie Lin . A nonradical oxidation process initiated by Ti-peroxo complex showed high specificity toward the degradation of tetracycline antibiotics. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(5): 108903-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108903
13. [13]
  Dong Cheng , Youyou Feng , Bingxi Feng , Ke Wang , Guoxin Song , Gen Wang , Xiaoli Cheng , Yonghui Deng , Jing Wei . Polyphenol-mediated interfacial deposition strategy for supported manganese oxide catalysts with excellent pollutant degradation performance. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(5): 108623-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108623
14. [14]
  Kai Han , Guohui Dong , Ishaaq Saeed , Tingting Dong , Chenyang Xiao . Morphology and photocatalytic tetracycline degradation of g-C3N4 optimized by the coal gangue. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, 2024, 43(2): 100208-100208. doi: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2023.100208
15. [15]
  Si Ha , Jiacheng Zhu , Hua Xiang , Guoshun Luo . Hydrophobic tag tethering degrader as a promising paradigm of protein degradation: Past, present and future perspectives. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(8): 109192-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109192
16. [16]
  Chunxiu Yu , Zelin Wu , Hongle Shi , Lingyun Gu , Kexin Chen , Chuan-Shu He , Yang Liu , Heng Zhang , Peng Zhou , Zhaokun Xiong , Bo Lai . Insights into the electron transfer mechanisms of peroxydisulfate activation by modified metal-free acetylene black for degradation of sulfisoxazole. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(8): 109334-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109334
17. [17]
  Yiqian Jiang , Zihan Yang , Xiuru Bi , Nan Yao , Peiqing Zhao , Xu Meng . Mediated electron transfer process in α-MnO₂ catalyzed Fenton-like reaction for oxytetracycline degradation. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(8): 109331-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109331
18. [18]
  Shiyu Pan , Bo Cao , Deling Yuan , Tifeng Jiao , Qingrui Zhang , Shoufeng Tang . Complexes of cupric ion and tartaric acid enhanced calcium peroxide Fenton-like reaction for metronidazole degradation. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(7): 109185-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109185
19. [19]
  Wenhao Wang , Guangpu Zhang , Qiufeng Wang , Fancang Meng , Hongbin Jia , Wei Jiang , Qingmin Ji . Hybrid nanoarchitectonics of TiO₂/aramid nanofiber membranes with softness and durability for photocatalytic dye degradation. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(7): 109193-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109193
20. [20]
  Xingmin Chen , Yunyun Wu , Yao Tang , Peishen Li , Shuai Gao , Qiang Wang , Wen Liu , Sihui Zhan . Construction of Z-scheme Cu-CeO₂/BiOBr heterojunction for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of sulfathiazole. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(7): 109245-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109245

Get Citation

PDF

XML

Metrics

PDF Downloads(0)
Abstract views(114)
HTML views(4)

通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

1.
沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142